Leo Steen 2010 Dry Creek Valley Chenin Blanc Saini Farms

This has been one of my favorite wines for a while now, and the 2010 is another excellent effort.

Chenin blanc is perhaps most famously associated with Loire Valley, France. Some of my favorite wines from the Loire Valley come from Vouvray. I am attracted to the natural high acidity of chenin blanc. When that slight sweetness is balanced with the acidity you end up with a very refreshing glass of wine. Chenin blanc does not have a very good reputation in the United States. For the most part, chenin blanc in the United States has been grown in regions that are too hot, and it has been mostly made into simple sweet wines aimed at the mass market.

Thanks to Leo Steen, we have a great example of what can be achieved with Chenin Blanc in California. First off, this wine is fermented dry, unlike many other chenin blancs (Note: I do not think that chenin blanc must be dry to be good, as mentioned above I find many Vouvray’s to excellent wines as well). That gives it a somewhat Alsatian like minerality and crispness. I also taste slightly baked pear flavors, with a hint of pie spices that start out round on the palate, followed by a nice crisp finish that leaves citrus notes lingering on.

If you know of any other good examples of chenin blanc, post a comment and let us know about them. I imagine that there must be some good efforts coming out of Oregon and Washington as well?

Leo Steen Chenin Blanc retails for about $16-18 and there were in 2010 there were 408 cases made. For more information on Leo Steen’s wines visit the website: www.leosteenwines.com